On The Table

The VW Group, Porsche. From the "Oh Shit" File comes word that German regulators are investigating whether Porsche illegally manipulated fuel economy data on its vehicles, potentially opening a new front in parent Volkswagen AG’s emissions-cheating scandal, according to a report in Bloomberg. Germany’s Transport Ministry and Federal Motor Transport Authority are examining whether Porsche installed devices allowing its cars to sense whether they were being tested for fuel consumption and carbon-dioxide emissions, representatives at both agencies said today. A Porsche spokesman told Bloomberg by phone that the company’s cars complied with fuel consumption and emissions laws that were in place at the time the vehicles were registered. All together now: Not. Very. Good.

(Ford)Watch a high-speed pass of the new production Ford GT super car here. Powered by a 3.5-liter, twin-turbo, EcoBoost V6 with well over 600HP, the new Ford GT is one of the most hotly anticipated new cars to come along in years.

(Honda)And on the other end of the automotive spectrum, Honda announced that "Cooperative Mobility Ecosystem" will be the theme for its participation at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The innovative Japanese automaker will feature interactive and immersive experiences in its display "designed to showcase a future technology path toward a redefined mobility experience." Visitors will have an opportunity to explore and demo technologies with the potential to "make people's lives better," according to the manufacturer. The exhibit will include the NeuV (above), a concept automated EV commuter vehicle equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) called "emotion engine" - a set of AI technologies developed by cocoro SB Corp., that enable machines to artificially generate their own emotions, which creates new possibilities for human interaction and new value for customers. The January 5, 2017, Honda press conference at CES will feature a keynote address from Yoshiyuki Matsumoto, President & CEO of Honda R&D Co., Ltd, who will unveil a concept motorcycle demonstrating an application of the company's robotics technology.

(Chevrolet images)Chevrolet’s first nine-speed automatic transmission will make its debut in the 2017 Malibu (below) and will be available in the 2017 Cruze Diesel and 2018 Equinox. The new, General Motors-developed Hydra-Matic 9T50 nine-speed is paired with the available 2.0L Turbo engine in the Malibu, contributing to an EPA-estimated 33 mpg highway, a 3 percent increase over the 2016 model with the six-speed automatic. GM will rapidly deploy the new Hydra-Matic nine-speed automatic transmission as an option on 10 vehicle models by the end of 2017.

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